


Never

by KumoriYami



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Destroy Ending, Established Relationship, F/M, One Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-19
Updated: 2013-11-19
Packaged: 2018-01-02 00:28:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1050380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KumoriYami/pseuds/KumoriYami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They've always had each other's backs. He always held to the belief that there was no Shepard without Vakarian. They've been to hell and back. They stopped Saren. The Collectors. The Reapers. They've always been there for each other but no matter how much they wish against it, they will always have to let go... (sorry i'm not great with summaries)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never

**Author's Note:**

> inspiration for this popped into my head the other day when I was reading a story on the kmeme... I've honestly been avoiding the site for years bcuz well... I get very distracted by good stories and well... it literally eats up all my time. I was reading a story femshep and garrus go and get married with absolutely no planning at all... but it didn't matter since they love each other (i'd reference it but i unfortunately do not remember the name of it... sorry!!) though that may seem odd I guess. hope you enjoy this but honestly...when I thought of this idea for this I honestly wanted to cry...(though i'm not exactly going to mention what it is)
> 
> anyway... posting to ao3 cuz well... dunno. wanted something here that says i havent been only enjoying all these great stories here. maybe ffnet later. or not. or maybe just stuff that I feel like putting here... dunno -.-

Her face breaks into a weak smile as he gently holds her hand. Even asleep she manages to set his heart aflutter. "Shepard..." He whispers softly as he holds back a smile. It's been years since he's actually called her that, they've been on a first name basis since the Reaper War, but he wants her to remember that he'll always have her back no matter what happens, as much as he knows that she'll always have his.

Her breathing is so very soft and quiet. Sometimes it's hard to believe that the same woman who fell for the awkward and on occasion, the oh, so very hopeless but unromantic turian was the same as the one who united galactic races and ended the Reaper threat which brought them all together. Regardless of how distant the War was and the horrors they faced, they could never truly forget it.

Some of the most horrible acts were committed and some of their closest friends were lost. Despite the literal hell that was circling around the Normandy crew and most importantly, its captain, they never lost sight of their goal. Or hope. War ironically was always the best time it seemed, to remind people what they were fighting for and who they were fighting for.

For him, he fought for her. Their relationship was forged in the heat of battle yet tended with the most loving of care. Their self-proclaimed suicide mission only spurned his desire to keep her safe as it did for her. She probably had no idea of the effect that she had on him, at the time anyway. He always wanted to be more for her, more than what anyone else in the whole damn galaxy could ever give. For her. This one human who would brave the fires of hell and back to get the job done. For peace. For the galaxy. But most importantly, for _him._

When she turned herself in to the Alliance for the destruction of Aratoht, she simply said it was for the best. She needed him to know that she could't cope with the possibility of having a war on two fronts, and so she could help the Alliance prepare. She still wanted to keep him safe as much as he did her. As a result, he had gone to his father, whom he knew would probably never approve of their relationship anyway, and got a Reaper task force because of it.

When Earth was hit, he was devastated but he kept his feelings to himself. Shepard would have wanted him to grieve... but not when the fate of the galaxy was at stake. She'd want him focused, but it was nice to learn that she felt the same when she learned of what happened to his home. She said that her boyfriend wouldn't like for her to be distracted when he and his people would probably be needing her the most. It made him smile upon learning that aboard the Normandy. He had opted for some liquid courage as he was hesitant to ask if their fire was still there but one look in her eye told she was his, as much as he himself, was hers.

When they hit Cronus station, they were all they had to keep each other together. She confessed that she wouldn't have known what to do without him, it truth, he always felt that she was what kept him whole. His worries were her worries. Her problems were his problems. Everything they were was because of each other. They faced their enemies together and together they destroyed Cerberus.

When they made the push for Earth they didn't know what the future held. The only thing that everyone knew was that it was their last chance to drive the Reapers back to whatever black hole they crawled out of. They didn't know if they could even say that that this would be just like old times in the future... there was even the possibility that there would be no more to speak of, but they clung to hope that there would be that future. To her and him, there was no Shepard without Vakarian...

He closes his eyes for a moment and lets out a sad sigh as her breathing slows done. It still seems like only yesterday when they were actually married. He remembers how he had opted for a traditional human wedding when he still literally shaking when she said yes even though she had made it painfully obvious that she was one-turian type of woman. He was still at a loss for everything when he had seen her form. Shepard was never great at following orders, even from him. Learning that she was alive and well... not so very well at the time was more than enough for him. They had the actual ceremony on the Normandy. It was there home during the best and worst times of their life and their crazy family was there... and it only felt right, even if there were faces that would never see the course their love would take in the future.

She had never been certain of something yet so uncertain of how to actually put it into words. Interestingly enough, he still remembers how calm and serene she sounded when she promised to stay with him, "until death do us part." Later that night they had gone over some of the turian customs that they felt necessary and he had gone and marked her. Shepard still bore the scars from that experience and she insisted they stayed on forever. Now, he can't help but notice how she relaxes as he traces the outline of the same marking. His markings. He wistfully sighs as he shakes his head. "I know you'll always have my back..."

A moment later he decides to move his hands over to her peaceful face, though he's still as careful as always. It's still the same person he fell in love with in what feels like a century ago. Their love had endured... Commander Shepard was still the one woman who made everything seem right. Although she was burdened with countless troubles, she found a fondness for him that went beyond friendship they had. To this day he knew how people were baffled by their relationship. With someone of Shepard's status, she could have picked form literally anyone, but she chose him. Hell... even amongst their extremely varied crew and basically family, they were an odd pairing...but people would see the way her eyes lit up whenever he entered the room. The way they held their hands as if it was always the last time. The way they both let out sighs of relief when they saw that the other was okay...  

He sees the lone tear that trickles down her cheek just as her breathing comes to a stop. Maybe she was thinking about the same things when she was listening to him as always. And still had been...as she always had _._ He wants to be mournful and cry out, but they both knew that this was inevitable. It was only a matter of time... Instead, he sits in silence for a moment and thinks of how what she promised what she would do right before she left and activated the Crucible. "Good-bye Shepard..." He cradles her protectively as he catches her last tear and slowly kisses her still warm lips. "I know you'll be waiting for me at the bar..." He mutters something incomprehensible as he recalls the pain he had felt at that time when he truly believed that the universe might take her away from him.  _You'll_   _never be alone.._.

* * *

He moves away slowly as he slumps down. She wouldn't want him to break down, but there are no words for a time or feeling such as this. This overwhelming feeling of loss.

"Father..." He can feel his both of his hands being pulled by the two who are standing next to him. They lack their usual energy and he can hear them choking up and doing their best to hold back their tears. "Mother...mother promised that no matter what happened... she'd always be looking down over us... and that we'd never be alone...never..." Her voice cracks despite her best efforts to not sound shakey as he slowly embraces the the child and her brother. _Never..._

**Author's Note:**

> I actually haven't written anything like this in a very, very, very, very long while... and I don't really think i'm good at anything... sad(ish), sweet or remotely fluffy... so feedback would be appreciated. was sorta going for something short but nice... and heartbreaking(ish) since... that's sorta what I felt when the idea came to mind... though I didn't want it to end on a completely sad note...  
> and sorry if there are mistakes... I didn't have the heart to go editing this after I finished writing... and if anyone has a better summary idea... please say so... I can't really write those (imo).


End file.
